Say it ain't snow!

Well, spring is right around the corner, but winter decided to show itself one more time – at least – before it retreats for the season. We aren't supposed to get more than a dusting, so it should be letting up soon. It's supposed to be sunny and around 50º tomorrow. With that said, I find myself more able to appreciate its beauty. It sure is sparkly sitting atop the bare tree limbs and bushes. Tomorrow, I will enjoy the sun. :)

It's what's on the inside that counts.

I was attending one of the traveling bead shows over the weekend and came across a booth (EarthArt) selling all sorts of mineral specimens and geodes. They had the coolest thing where you could pick a rock from various bins and the guy running the booth would load it into a vice-like contraption. He would then give it a couple clicks with a socket wrench and the rock would crack. (You can see the crack above if you look closely.) Once cracked, it was carefully handed back to its purchaser to be opened to reveal the jewels inside.

It was very exciting and I got a bit carried away with it. When I took the two home that I purchased on Saturday for $5 each and shared the calcite, smoky quartz and amethyst with my husband, he asked me to get a couple of the $10 ones on Sunday. No problem! They are just so cool. I have no idea what I'll do with them, but I got some nice ones!

This is one of the Los Choyas ones. It contains chalcedony and smoky quartz (if I remember correctly).

Another Los Choyas, this is one of the beautiful amethyst ones I picked.

This type looked so different on the outside from the others. They reminded me of potatoes in in both color and texture. This one is Moroccan and contains quartz. Very beautiful!

I do weddings!

I love when people find my shop. I'm always so curious as to how it happens and I rarely find out. I know I need to educate myself more on how Google Analytics can work for me. I seem to get quite a few shoppers who are first-time Etsy buyers, which intrigues me even more. Were they browsing, searching categories...?

This week I received a convo from a very sweet bride-to-be who said she adored my necklace entitled Lightness. She was wondering if I truly only had one available or if she could order more of them. Naturally, I replied telling her I would check my supplies, but was fairly certain I could accommodate her order. She wanted 5 of them!

It's always a bit nerve-racking for me to be at work, away from my supplies or sold orders because I want to be home, designing or shipping right then! But I had to wait. I ordered some back-up pearls though, just in case. Checked my supplies at home and found I had all I needed to make the necklaces. When I contacted my shopper, she had seen a pair of ametrine earrings in my shop and decided to change the lemon quartz to ametrine instead.

I am thrilled with the results! It's a lovely stone and it pairs so well with the little oblong white pearls. Perfect for a spring wedding!

This is the 3rd wedding for which I've designed bridesmaid jewelry and it is certainly an area where I'd like to have more sales. I enjoy creating something a little different for the brides, and they seem to enjoy having input in the design process. It makes a wonderful and memorable gift to the bridesmaids, who are usually dear friends or siblings!

A very cheerful treasury.

I just checked my activity feed and found that my Peppertree bracelet has been included in a nice, bright and springy treasury put together by birdsoforegon. I love how happy it feels. Here is a peek at it and if you'd like to shop the other sellers, check it out here on Etsy.

The incredible, handy egg.

I've wanted to play around with oxidizing—intentionally darkening— some silver pieces for a while now. About a year or so ago (probably longer, now that I think about it) I bought a small rock of liver of sulfur from an Etsy seller with every intention of testing it out on a small batch of silver. Well, I never got around to it and, long story short, it had gone bad by the time I tried it. "Yeah, that happens after a while..." my husband informed me. (Helpful now, honey, thanks. lol)

Well, I was working on a custom PMC piece for a friend to give to his wife for Christmas and that was going to be the piece that I successfully oxidized. To the Etsy forums! I had read before about using eggs to oxidize silver, so figured what the heck, I'd give it a try. It's really simple, actually. And not toxic. And not to mention good in salads.

The photos are from a new batch I just did the day before yesterday. You simply put your pieces to be oxidized into an airtight container—I prefer a clear one because I can check on them without disturbing them too soon. I used two eggs. You want the water to boil before adding them and then boil them for about 15 minutes or so. Once hard boiled, remove them with a spoon from the water and cut them open with a knife, quickly transferring them into the airtight container, sealing the lid. You want to move quickly because the heat and steam help the sulfur from the yolks darken your pieces.

Once they get to the desired darkness, you remove the lid, clean the egg off of the pieces by rinsing and wiping with a paper towel and then use very fine steel wool (I believe I used 0000 grade) to remove the oxidation in the raised parts of the pieces as you like.

I actually tried this batch first, removing the whites from the eggs once boiled, but they cooled too quickly that way and mostly my pieces just turned a funky yellowish color. Not very attractive. I boiled a couple more and just halved them and put them in the container and had much better, darker results.

These are a few of the pieces all polished up using steel wool. I imagine I will keep practicing, but I'm really happy with the results overall!

Holiday traditions in my hometown.

Well, somehow or another, I have managed to almost let slip by the opportunity to show off a holiday tradition in my town, Mt. Healthy. Well, I lucked out and was reminded by a friend on Facebook of Three Kings Day (or Feast of the Epiphany for us Catholic folks). Every year since I can remember, Paul R. Young Funeral Home has been setting up this life-size nativity scene, complete with sheep, sometimes goats, a donkey or two and, wait for it... three kings (two of the three can be seen off to the right in the pic below).

When I was little, my brothers and my parents would take me up to see the animals and somewhere along the line, I heard that the statues were actually members of the Young family cast in wax. I have no idea if that is true, but it seems believable enough, so we'll go with it! We would walk up there a few times before Christmas, as it's only a couple blocks from my parents' house. Baby Jesus would show up in the manger late on Christmas Eve (if I remember correctly). Kids love to bring along carrots and other treats for the donkey and sheep. I just like to pet the sheep and goats when they have them! They are just so soft.

I finally had the opportunity to visit on December 30. Up to that point, it had been so cold and snowy that I just didn't feel like going out and standing around up there. That day, they ended up closing our office early for New Year's because many people were out using up remaining vacation days and that sort of thing. When I left work around 2 pm, I knew just where to go!

So here is mama donkey and newly born Princess Aurora (born December 27, 2010, said the sign there). Just three days old at the time of this photo. I am guessing she was born there at the nativity scene, but don't know for sure.

I've never seen a baby donkey before. She is quite cute!

The sheep and their babies were all snuggled up in a couple of big fleecy piles. I think I was the only one cold out there that day!

One of the few who was out moving around. Never got close enough to the fence for me to pet though, unfortunately.

Let's talk Tanzania.

You may remember a couple weeks back that I put together my very first treasury. It happened because I fell in love with a lioness... photo, that is. I couldn't take it. I bought that gorgeous photograph! It didn't last even a couple days in my treasury. I never get tired of looking at her and can't wait to have her framed to display in my home! She is below in a piece called "queen of the grassland."

I had a couple Etsy convos back and forth with Sharon, the photographer, who told me of her travels to Tanzania, where she shot many of her wildlife photographs. Her work and stories transport you there and, frankly inspired me to want to go there and see these amazing creatures for myself one day. Amongst others in her shop are an absolutely adorable baby elephant, a majestic sleeping lion and curious hyenas. Whether you're looking for a gift for an animal lover or a beautiful piece of artwork for your own home, smrrk photography has something for you. The photographs come well packaged and protected and signed and numbered on the back.

*COPYRIGHT: original photographs by smrrk photography; artist retains copyright after purchase.